A-Gas RemTec’s Total Solutions Program Provides Complete Cradle-to-Grave Refrigerant Management

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- 

Founded in 1986, as RemTec International, A-Gas RemTec, has provided products and services involved in managing Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and substances high in Global Warming Potential (GWP) on a worldwide basis. The Company’s patented and proprietary equipment is used to recover and reclaim Halons and their replacement agents used in the fire protection industry, and also CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs used in refrigerant and HVAC applications.

A-Gas RemTec’s capabilities represent a complete cradle-to-grave refrigerant management program known as the Total Solutions™ Program. The Total Solutions™ Program provides the only complete cradle-to-grave refrigerant management service under one roof. The total integration of services from beginning to end provides many cost efficiencies that benefit customers.

The Total Solutions™ Program provides customers with access to a full product line of refrigerants, including supplies of R22 that can be provided throughout the transitional industry phase-out.. A-Gas, a market leader in the UK, Australia, South Africa, and now in the U.S., provides a full range of products at competitive prices. In association with their sister company, Coolgas, they have nationwide distribution capabilities for any refrigerants that may be needed.

A-Gas RemTec reclaims used refrigerants using full distillation processing to return mixed refrigerants to AHRI 700-12 standards. This provides greater cost efficiencies to customers by utilizing a higher degree of contaminated refrigerants causing fewer destruction costs and unusable refrigerants. Refrigerants considered un-reclaimable or unusable are accepted and destroyed at no cost. All unusable refrigerants are destroyed on-site at their Bowling Green, Ohio facility. A-Gas RemTec utilizes Plascon, which is plasma arc destruction technology. Competitive compensation is offered for refrigerants of value that meet purity criteria. A-Gas RemTec offers a fleet of cylinders and ISO Tanks that can be shipped to customers to aid in the recovery of refrigerants. Contrastingly, if a customer has a recovery tank that needs to be refurbished or recertified, A-Gas RemTec has a Department of Transportation Certified facility in Bowling Green, Ohio. As an added service, A-Gas RemTec maintains one of only three AHRI-certified laboratories in the U.S., providing one of the most accurate and integrated testing facilities for halocarbons. As an EPA Certified Reclamation Company, a complete disposition report on all materials processed is provided for customers to file with their EPA records.

Total Solutions™ Program offers a complete banking system to securely warehouse and manage the inventory of critical-use gases. A-Gas RemTec has built and managed strategic banking reserves for the U.S. Department of Defense and a major U.S. aircraft manufacturer. The Majority stockholder of A-Gas Group, Lloyds Development Capital (a division of Lloyds Banking Group, the largest financial institution in the UK), enables A-Gas RemTec the financial strength to meet any project requirements.

About A-Gas International
A-Gas is an international group of companies with headquarters in the United Kingdom. A-Gas is a market leader in the supply of refrigerants within its core territories in the U.K., South Africa, and Australia, and has state of the art storage, blending, packaging and reclamation facilities in Bristol, Cape Town, and Melbourne. The company is rapidly growing its market share in Asia and the Americas with sales offices in Singapore, Thailand, China and the USA. For more information, visitwww.agas.com.

About A-Gas RemTec
For more information, visit www.remtec.net.

China to receive $385m to eliminate HCFCs

CHINA: Up to $385m is to be given to China to end its production of R22 refrigerant.

The money from the Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund is designed to help ensure the entire elimination of China's industrial production of ozone depleting substances by the 2030.

China has agreed to retire its current HCFC production capacity and will also retire surplus production capacity that is currently not utilized.

According to the Chinese, the total amount of HCFCs to be eliminated will prevent the emission of over 4,300,000 tonnes of HCFCs, equal to 300,000 tonnes in terms of its ozone depletion potential, and 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.

With China being the largest producer and consumer of HCFCs, this is potentially the largest project approved so far under the Multilateral Fund since its inception.

China will close and dismantle its production lines producing only HCFCs for uses controlled under the Montreal Protocol and ensure that any HCFC plants that will receive funding do not switch to producing HCFCs as industrial feedstock, a use not controlled by the Montreal Protocol. China will also coordinate with stakeholders and make best efforts to manage HCFC production and associated by-product production in HCFC plants in accordance with best practices to minimize associated climate impacts.

Over the next four years China will receive US $95m to cover the first stage of its HCFC production phase-out management plan (HPPMP) to assist the country to meet the freeze in HCFC production by 2013 and the reduction by 10% by 2015 as required by the Montreal Protocol's HCFC phase-out programme.

The latest data shows that China produces 92% of the total HCFC production of developing countries.

While the announcement was welcomed by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), there are concerns to ensure that HFC23, a hugely damaging by-product of production, is also destroyed.

EIA is calling on China to formally pledge to destroy the HFC23 from all Chinese HCFC production facilities, including facilities which produce HCFC for feedstock.

"Elimination of China's production of HCFCs over the next 17 years is a great win for the environment," said Mark W Roberts, EIA's senior Policy advisor. "However, it will be a hollow victory unless China adopts measures to prevent HFC23 from being vented into the atmosphere."

   

The Future of HFCs in Montreal Protocol

My Peter Powell

April 8, 2013

It’s easy to argue that no single development has impacted the HVACR industry as much as the Montreal Protocol. The international treaty, which was signed 25 years ago, ultimately phased out CFC and HCFC production; introduced refrigerant recovery, recycling, and reclamation; and, essentially, enveloped the HVACR industry under the power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which now dictates certifications and penalties related to the use and handling of refrigerants.

More than two decades later, the worldwide contract is still strongly impacting many sectors of the HVACR industry, including the decisions of contractors and service technicians. Ongoing discussions are currently underway, examining ways to incorporate HFCs into the protocol in order to phase down their use due to relatively high global warming potential (GWP). And while no changes are expected in the foreseeable future, these continuing conversations, and the potential developments pending, have surely caught the attention of those across the industry.

Good News

But first, the good news: The protocol was designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances found to be responsible for ozone depletion, those having ozone depleting potential (ODP).
And, it appears to be working.

“The Montreal Protocol is widely recognized for being very effective in reducing ozone depleting substances including CFCs and HCFCs,” said Robert Wilkins, vice president of public affairs, Danfoss. “Although we do not expect atmospheric chlorine to return to pre-1980 levels until about 2050, it has peaked and has been trending downward for several years.”

The Emergence of HFCs

With the HVACR industry forced to turn away from CFCs and HCFCs, it has moved on to HFCs, which include no ODP. However, many HFCs carried a high GWP due to their abilities to trap infrared radiations in the atmosphere, which does contribute to the greenhouse effect.

The latest efforts to revise the Montreal Protocol include rating gases based on GWP, as well as ODP.
Rajan Rajendran, vice president of engineering services and sustainability for Emerson Climate Technologies, noted, “The U.S., Canada, and Mexico have proposed an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to address global warming with a phase down of HFCs. This effort has been in place for a few years now. While there are 107 other countries supporting it, there are other, more developing countries like India, China, and Brazil who oppose. One barrier that is often mentioned is that the Montreal Protocol has historically had a very clear mission of addressing ozone depletion, but climate change is outside of its charter.”

Danfoss’ Wilkins added, “The EPA and the Department of State jointly held a stakeholders meeting in Washington on Feb. 5 with American industry leaders and others to discuss possible steps forward. With industry representatives expressing support for a well-planned orderly global HFC phase down on a GWP-weighted basis, it is likely the North American proposal will be resubmitted in 2013 for consideration at this year’s annual meeting.”

But what happens after that is uncertain, although many expect minimal action for a few subsequent years.
Mack McFarland, environmental fellow, DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts, said, “The proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol has not yet been endorsed by all of the developing countries. Amendments are adopted by consensus. Discussions continue with more and more countries voicing their support each year. I think the industry views the predictable process under the Montreal Protocol as preferable to country-by-country command and control regimes.”

Rajendran agreed. “While there are efforts to make some changes in the protocol, I don’t believe we’ll see any changes in the next few years.”

Europe and the US

European leaders are conversationally discussing HFC regulations based on GWP.

According to the website R-744.com, “The debate did advance, with countries discussing HFC amendment proposals in an informal setting, as well as requesting more information on the availability of environmentally sound alternatives to ozone depleting substances.”

R-744.com noted that this debate has spanned four years, without resolution. In his second inaugural address President Barack Obama said, “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.” He did not specify any specific proposals during this speech.

A Feb. 12 report from the White House, titled, “The President’s Plan for a Strong Middle Class and a Strong America,” revived calls for more reliance on solar and wind energy generation. The only reference to climate change was the statement, “The president has directed his cabinet to identify executive actions from across the administration to help reduce pollution, prepare our cities and nation for the worsening effects of climate change, and accelerate the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”

But most do not see this as an omen for unilateral action. For one, a divided Congress seems unlikely to act on potentially costly initiatives. And many in the industry see the EPA wanting to work in the framework of a global consensus.

At the same time, Rajendran did suggest, “The HVACR industry in the U.S. should be watching the emerging U.S. state government regulations out of the West and Northeast as well as potential U.S. government actions and regulations on greenhouse gasses.”

DuPont’s McFarland said, “There are a broad range of global activities under way to address greenhouse gas emissions, such as the U.S. CAFE standard for lightweight motor vehicles, renewable fuels, electricity programs in various countries, and cap-and-trade pilots in China. We anticipate that absent of a global agreement such as the Montreal Protocol, the U.S. government will seek ways to reduce HFC emissions under its current authority.”

But, in the context of a global perspective, Wilkins said progress may occur slowly. “Any changes to the Montreal Protocol would take a few years to enact. If India and China could be persuaded to support an HFC phase down, leading to a global consensus, the Montreal Protocol would then undergo negotiations to finalize the amendment and provide specific targets and timetables for phasing down HFCs globally. The amendment would then need to be ratified country by country. In the U.S., that would likely require action by the Senate. Once approved, each country could begin its own process for phasing down HFCs — similar to the phase down of CFCs and HCFCs.”

SIDEBAR: A No-Go for Kyoto

If changes to the Montreal Protocol are slow starters in regards to any additional impact on HVACR contractors, the Kyoto Protocol is a non-starter. Kyoto was to be the document to obligate countries, starting in 2005, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Many countries signed and ratified it. The U.S. signed it, but failed to ratify it and Canada withdrew from it in 2011.

Even then, many ratifiers had problems reducing GHG emissions to promised levels. However, more than 100 nations have pledged support behind the regulation of GHG emissions through the Montreal Protocol, and a growing number of countries are ready to join on, if a draft is ever presented.

Mack McFarland, environmental fellow, DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts, said, “While there are no discussions under the Kyoto Protocol specific to the HVACR industry, there are active discussions under the Montreal Protocol.”

Robert Wilkins, vice president of public affairs, Danfoss, acknowledged that climate change is emerging as an important issue for the Obama administration. “Since the U.S. never ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and nothing has developed regarding refrigerants, there isn’t likely to be any impact on the HVACR industry.”
Rajan Rajendran, vice president of engineering services and sustainability for Emerson Climate Technologies, said climate-change regulations could still surface in the U.S.

“From the Kyoto Protocol point of view, which is focused on climate change, the HVACR industry in the U.S. should be watching the emerging U.S. state government regulations on greenhouse gases.”

Publication date: 4/8/2013

Peter Powell is Refrigeration Editor. E-mail him at peterpowell@achrnews.com.

Summary of Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol

China receives $265-million grant to reduce HCFC use

Thursday, August 04, 2011

The Multilateral Fund, a financial body established to aid developing countries meet their Montreal Protocol commitments, has given China a $265-million grant, to reduce the country’s use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons which contributes to ozone layer degradation. China, the largest producer and consumer of the gas, uses HCFC mainly for air-conditioning refrigerant as well as industrial and commercial refrigeration, foam blowing agents, and as solvents. The country will be using the grant approved by the executive committee to support its commitment on achieving a green economy. This step also represents the first stage of China’s HCFC phase out management plan, which when implemented, will not only eliminate 3,320 tons of HCFC consumption in the country, but will also help the country adopt new technologies that will be used to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Under the country’s plan to reduce the use of the gas, they intend to strengthen policy implementation to restrict the growth of HCFC production capacity, and establish the production capacity of alternatives through a series of projects. In addition, the government will also focus on reducing the leakage of refrigerants. Following the plan and with the aid of the grant, China could see an overall reduction of about 17 percent of the country’s total amount of controlled HCFC use. In line with their efforts, United Nations Development Program, U.N. Environment Program, U.N. Industrial Development Organization, the World Bank, and the governments of Germany and Japan will be aiding China. In 2009, China was responsible for over 58 percent of HCFC consumption in developing countries; this was due to the rapidly growing economy. Industries in the country are faced with the fact that they should convert hundreds of their assembly lines in order to stop the consumption of HCFC by 2013 and reduce its consumption from this level by 10 percent by 2015. “The approval of China’s HCFC phase out management plan represents an extraordinary achievement by the Multilateral Fund and its stakeholders to reduce HCFC consumption,” said Maria Nolan, chief officer of the Multilateral Fund. The fund was established in 1991 and has since approved activities including industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building worth over $2.6 billion. As of April 2011, contributions made by some 45 countries totaled over $2.77 billion. Its main objective is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone depleting substances is less than 0.3 kilograms to comply with the control measures of the protocol. Currently, 147 of the 196 parties to the Montreal Protocol meet these criteria. In line with the Montreal Protocol’s phase out of ozone depleting substances starting the last week of July, the U.N. had started giving aid to countries in their transition to a low-carbon economy. It is estimated that by 2015, combined member countries’ plans to reduce ozone depleting substances will prevent more than 62 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. (L. J. Polintan) Article obtained from: http://www.ecoseed.org/politics-article-list/article/3-politics/10647-china-receives-$265-million-grant-to-reduce-hcfc-use